After years of fumbling around with the confusing Wii U, Nintendo has once again proven that it can deliver a gaming console that people actually want. Nintendo announced yesterday that the Nintendo Switch has become the fastest-selling home video game system in U.S. history.
The home console / handheld hybrid that players can take on the go launched March 3, 2017, and in 10 months has sold more than 4.8 million units in the United States, according to Nintendo’s internal sales figures. That’s the highest total for the first 10 months of any home video game system in U.S. history, surpassing Nintendo’s own Wii system, which was the previous record holder with more than 4 million units sold during the same timeframe.
This is an impressive feat, even if you consider the Switch to be handheld device. For comparison, the Nintendo 3DS sold no more than 4 million units during the same timeframe in its launch year in the US.
"Fans across the country have experienced the joy of playing their favorite games at home or on the go," said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s President and COO. "Now that many more people have received Nintendo Switch systems for the holidays, we look forward to bringing them fun new surprises in 2018 and beyond."
No doubt this success is fueled by the Switch's strong 1st party launch titles. According to Nintendo's own numbers, more than 60% of Nintendo Switch owners have Super Mario Odyssey, and over 55% own The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
The Nintendo Switch currently has more than 300 3rd party games although none of them is as impressive as Nintendo's own title yet. Third party games available on the Switch include FIFA 18 from Electronic Arts, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and Just Dance 2018 from Ubisoft, Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition from Mojang, L.A. Noire from Rockstar Games, NBA 2K18 from 2K Games, Sonic Mania from SEGA, Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers from Capcom, Rocket League from Psyonix and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and DOOM from Bethesda.
This year, Nintendo Switch owners can look forward to Nintendo-published games like Kirby Star Allies, Bayonetta, Bayonetta 2 and a new game starring Yoshi.
